SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

Selecting the Colour of the Year.

Have you ever wondered how colours are selected for home décor? Cars? Fashion?  How the colour of the year is chosen before you see it popping up, just about everywhere?  I have.

 As an Interior Designer, I always have my eye on trends in colour, materials, texture and how these all come together to form beautiful design. 

Recently I was invited to participate in a Colour Forecasting Workshop, called a ChromaZone®, led by Color Marketing Group (CMG).   CMG is an international not-for-profit association whose members research and provide predictions for consumer desirability that shape upcoming colour direction.  The ChromaZone® was an intense two-day workshop where 10 colour design professionals from various industries across Canada, the United States and Europe were asked to identify upcoming trend stories and to forecast colour directions for 2023 and beyond. The workshop process was highly collaborative, and discussions revolved around everything from global movements, culture, economics, societal patterns, climate, and more.    

The Impact of Covid in Colour Trends  

To anyone that thinks colour selection is an easy task, think again. Colours are not just colours.  Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada explains it best.

Before colour was even considered, there was a lot of debate and many “Aha” moments while discussing current and future trends. Looking forward as the world emerges from the pandemic, colour professionals discussed how stories around hyper-curated online presence, mental health, return–to–office, and local travel translate into emerging colour trends. The conclusion? COVID’s legacy remains an overarching theme and dominated the big question of, what’s next? There were overlapping threads to the group’s colour theories such as connection, healing, authenticity, wanderlust, biophilia, Gen Z and finally emerge.

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The Future of Colour 

The final ChromaZone® Report for 2023 is yet to be released to workshop participants, however from our discussions it was clear that grounded, comfort colours dominated: deep ethereal greens; burnt sage greens; old world patina browns as did refreshing elemental soft blues often with a grey undertone. Black or its evolutionary colour isn’t going away anytime soon either as we are drawn to that deep, stable –yet transitional– colour as the ultimate shape shifter. 

Being able to participate in this process was eye opening. I realized what a profound analysis takes place; nothing about the colour choices are random. Global trends are translated into moods which are translated into colour.  

As a condo builder, we design spaces that come to realization years later. Staying up to date with the latest colour trends allows us to plan far ahead and set up the mood through the implementation of colour, creating timeless designs for our lobbies and common areas. 

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Make no mistake, all of us are affected by colour. Colour psychology can be powerful. Colour forecasting allows professionals to plan, stay fresh and relevant, and steps ahead of the fads. Product development which requires long lead times such as tiles, hardwood flooring, wallpaper and require a commitment to colour as a business decision and are all influenced and even gain a competitive edge by paying attention to emerging preferences. Let’s see what emerges.


Having this knowledge also supports me with insight when selecting finishes and materials to strengthen our product range offered in The Lobby for our homeowners. These finishes are in demand for years to come rather than just the next season. 

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What do you think will be the colour of the year for 2022? How do you implement colour trends into your interior design aesthetic? Tag us and use #TridelDesign in your posts. 


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Stella Salvador, Principal Interior Designer 
"For Stella, Home is a creative laboratory: a personal sanctuary that fosters health,, productive energy and creative thought. Stella credits empathy, honesty and travel and design inspirations. Her signature style is unconsciously comfortable with an elevated aesthetic."

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